Buggy-top.



PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903.

E. A. RHINESMITH.

BUGGY TOP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

QAIIOPIDC YS lln'rrnn drains Parent @FFICE.

EDWIN A. RHINESMITH, OF KEMPTON, ILLINOIS.

euecv 'roe.

:SBPEGIFIUJATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,044, dated January 27, 1903.

Application filed May 23, 1902. $erial No. 108,691. (No model.)

To aZZ whom JIMLI/ concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN A. RHINEsMrrH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kempton, in the county of Ford and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Buggy-Top, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to buggy-tops of that class which are provided with a support whereby they may be maintained in a raised position and in which means are provided for mechanically releasing the said support, so as to enable the top-frame to be lowered or thrown back.

My invention consists in certain improvement in the construction of such supporting means and in the mechanism for operating the same whereby a device shallbe provided which possesses superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, easy operation, and general efficiency.

I'Vith these ends in view inyinvention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a buggy-seat and one side of the buggy-top to which my invention has been applied, showing the top raised. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the same, showing the top lowered and folded and with dotted lines showing the top raised and expanded. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View of the guiding and supporting device for the top-prop. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through the swiveled guide of the same. Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a modification. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 0c in Fig. 5.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are indicated by like characters of reference.

1 designates a buggy-seat, the rail 2 of which is provided at its front corners with laterally-extending brackets 3, upon which the top, which as a whole is designated by 4, is mounted by means ofan eye at the lower end of one of the props or braces ofsaid top, this being the usual construction.

In the drawings hereto annexed only one side of the buggy-top has been shown, as will be readily seen, the construction at both sides being identical. The props or braces of the top are connected near their upper ends by the usual stub-joints 6, and I desire it to be understood that these parts are all to be located between covering or curtain and the lining of the same, so that none of these parts will be exposed to view on the outside.

7 designates a shaft arranged'parallel to and preferably a short distance above the rear part of the buggy-rail 2. Said shaft has its hearings in journal-boxes 8, only one of which has been shown in the drawings, but of which it should be understood that one is to be located suitably to support each end of the shaft. The said boxes may be secured upon the seat rail by means of set-screws 9.

1O designates an arm provided at its lower end with a transverse perforation or eye 11, whereby it is mounted upon the shaft 7,where it is held securely in position by means of a set-screw 12. The arm 10 is provided near its lower end with an offset or shoulder 13, from which a flange 14 extends in an upward direction at the rear edge of the arm. It will be observed that the shoulder 13 and flange 14 form, in conjunction with the inner side of arm 10, an angular recess, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The arm 10 is provided near its upper end with a transverse perforation 15, the axis of which is parallel to that of the eye 11 at the lower end of said arm.

16 designates a tubular guide provided on one side thereof with a laterally-extending pin or stud 17, adapted to engage in the perforation and to form a pivot upon which the said tubular guide may turn. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 of thedrawings, the projecting end of the pin or stud 17 is clenched or upset, so as to form a head 18, whereby the guide 16 is retained in its pivotal position upon the arm 10.

19 designates the top prop or supportingrod, the lower end of which is adjusted in the tubular guide 16in such a manner as to slide freely therein. The upper end of the supporting-rod 19 is formed with an eye 20,whereby it has pivotal connection with a pin 21, extending laterally from a casting 22, which is secured, by means of screws or bolts 23, upon one of the props or braces 24 of the buggytop at, said prop or brace being the same which is provided at its lower end with the eye 5, whereby it has pivotal connection with the bracket 3 of the seat-rail. The casting 22 is provided with laterally extending lugs or ears, as 25, to receive the pins, whereby pivotal connection is had with the arms of the adjacent stub-joints. The casting 22 is thus made to serve the double purpose of con necting with the adjacent stub-joints and with the top-supporting rod or brace 19.

It will be understood that while I have only described one of these bracing devices another one correspondingly constructed will be used at the other side of the buggy-top. (Not shown in the drawings.)

The ends of the rock-shaft 7 are extended beyond the sides of the buggy-rail, as shown in Fig. 1, and are provided with levers or handles 26, whereby the said rock-shaft may be manipulated from the outside. To enable it to be manipulated with equal facility by a person seated in the buggy, I provide an additional operating handle or lever 27, which is located upon the rock-shaft adjacent to the inside of the buggy-rail and which extends in a forward direction, as shown, its front end being supported upon a spring 28, which is suitably attached to or connected with a sleeve 29, mounted upon the seat-rail. For the accommodation of the upper end of the spring 28 the under side of the lever 27 is provided near its front end with a cup-shaped recess, (shown at 30 in Fig. 2 of the drawings.) It will be observed that the action of the spring 28 will be to throw the lever 27 in an upward and rearward direction. The motion of the rock-shaft 7 in this direction is, however, limited by the brace-rod 19 in conjunction with its guiding-sleeve 17 and the stop for the lower end of said brace-rod, as will be presently described.

When the buggy-top is raised, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the brace-rod 19, ex tending from the pivotal pin 21 in a downward and rearward direction and passing through the swiveled eye or guide 16, rests upon the shoulder 13 of the arm 10 and against the flange 14. This position is maintained by the action of the spring 28 against the le ver 27, the tension of which is to so swing the rock-shaft 7 as to move the upper end of the arm 10 in a rearward direction. The swiveled eye 16, encircling the brace-rod. 19, consequently moves the lower end of said bracerod in a rearward direction into engagement with the flange or stop 14, and thus retains the extreme lower end of the said brace-rod in its supported position upon the shoulder 13. When it shall be desired to lower the top and the lever 27, with this end in View, is de pressed against the tension of the spring 28, the rock-shaft 7 is thereby manipulated so as to throw the upper end of the arm 10 in a forward direction. The sleeve 16, encircling the brace-rod, will thus act to throw the lower end of said brace-rod ofi the shoulder 3. The brace-rod 19 will now, impelled by the weight of the top as the latter swings in a downward direction, slide through the swiveled guide 16, which latter swings upon its pivot, so as to guide the lower end of the brace-rod in a forward direction to the position indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The stub-joints connecting the top braces may now be folded, when the parts will occupy the position with relation to each other which has been illustrated in Fig. 2. When the top is raised, the brace 19 moves in the opposite di-' rection through the swiveled guide 16 until its lower end engages the shoulder 13 and flange 14, as before described.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings I have illustrated a modified construction of the guiding and supporting device for the brace-rod 19. By this modification the arm 10 is bifurcated, and its sides 35 35 are connected by a flange 36, extending upwardly from the portion which forms the shoulder 13. The upper ends of the sides 35 are bent forwardly and connected by a cross-piece 37, which lies in a plane in front of that occupied by the flange 36. The lower end of the brace-rod 19 will then be capable of sliding and be guided between the sides 35, the flange 36, and the cross-piece 37. While this construction will be found effective, I prefer that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and I have shown this modification only to show that the swiveled sleeve 16 may be dispensed with.

v Upon the arm or bracket 3 of the buggyrail, adjacent to the eye 5 of the prop 24, I desire to arrange a coiled spring40, which bears against the said eye with sufficient pressure to cause a frictional resistance between the said eye and the adjacent washer 41 to prevent the top from dropping too suddenly, and thereby injuring any of the members thereof or of the .mechanism whereby it is operated to causev it to drop. I also desire to arrange upon the projecting ends of the rockshaft 7 elastic sleeves, as 42, made, preferably, of rubber tubing, to receive the impact of the top-braces when the top is lowered and to prevent the contacting parts from being scratched or injured.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood. The construction is simple, the operating parts are few, and the invention may readily be applied to buggy seats and tops of ordinary construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a buggy-seat having the side rails, of the top hinged thereto, a transversely-arranged rock-shaft, an arm mounted upon said rock-shaft and provided with a stop-flange and an opening in rear thereof and a supporting-shoulder, and a brace-rod having pivotal connection with the buggytop, and connected slidingly with said arm by said stop-flange, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a buggy-seat having side rails,0f the top hinged thereto,a transversely-arranged rock-shaft, an arm mounted upon said rock-shaft and provided with a stop-flange, an opening in rear of said stepflange and a supporting-shoulder, a bracerod having pivotal connection with the buggytop and connected slidingly with said arm by said stop-flange, and operating-levers connected with the rockshaft, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a buggy-seat having side rails of the top hinged thereto, a transversely-arranged rock-shaft, an arm mounted upon said rock-shaft and provided with a stop-flange andasupportingshoulder,abracerod having pivotal connection with the buggytop and connected slidingly with said arm, and a spring-pressed operating-lever adapted to hold the lower end of the brace-rod in engagement with the stop-flange and shoulder of the arm with which it has sliding connection, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a buggy-seat of the hinged top, a transversely-arranged rockshaft, an arm mounted upon said rock-shaft and having astop-fiange, a supporting-shoulder, and means for holding a brace slidingly in connection therewith, the brace-rod having sliding connection with said arm and pivotal connection with the buggy-top, and a spring-pressed operating-lever mounted upon the rock-shaft and adapted to hold Lhelower end of the brace-rod in engagement with the stop-flange and supporting-shoulder of the arm with which it has sliding connection, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a buggy-seat of the hinged top, a transversely-arranged rockfrom the face of said plate, and an arm mounted upon the rock-shaft and having sliding connection with the lower end of said brace, and provided with means whereby the same may be supported, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a buggy-seat, the sides of which are provided with laterally-extending brackets, of the top mounted upon said brackets by means of pivotal eyes,springs arranged to bear frictionally against said eyes, a rock-shaft arranged transversely in bearings supported upon the buggy-seat, an arm mounted upon said rock-shaft and provided with a stop-flange and a supportingshoulder, and a brace-rod having pivotal connection with the buggy-top and connected slidingly with said arm, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with a buggy-seat of the top hinged thereto, a transversely-arranged rock-shaft having its ends extended beyond the sides of said buggy-seat, an arm mounted upon said rock-shaft and having a stop-flange and a supporting-shoulder,a brace connected pivotally with the top and having sliding connection with said arm, and elastic sleeves mounted upon the extended ends of the rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN A. RHINESMITH.

Witnesses:

J. W. HERRON, W. O. FARLEY. 

